


That's Not Anger

by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar)



Series: Imagine Tony & Bucky [72]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Humor, I blame Deadpool, M/M, Misunderstandings, Science Bros, Snarky Jarvis, Temporary Hulk Duty, That's Not How This Works, Tony As Hulk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 07:26:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5734795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaqen_hgar/pseuds/Finely%20Honed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <span class="small">Prompt: Imagine if somehow if Tony 'caught' or somehow got Bruce's powers for a week and he kept hulking out. Bucky tries to keep Tony calm, but its hard.</span>
</p>
<p>“It’s just,” and Bucky paused, looking over his shoulder for the sixth or seventh time that evening, “I had no idea he was so angry all of the time.”</p>
<p>“Sorry.” Bruce sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose. “It should only be a couple more days.”</p>
<p>Steve gave him a shoulder squeeze, and Bucky passed the gesture down the line to Bruce. “It’s not your fault, Bruce. I know for a fact that Tony doesn’t blame you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's Not Anger

“It’s just,” and Bucky paused, looking over his shoulder for the sixth or seventh time that evening, “I had no idea he was so _angry_ all of the time.”

“Sorry.” Bruce sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose. “It should only be a couple more days.”

Steve gave him a shoulder squeeze, and Bucky passed the gesture down the line to Bruce. “It’s not your fault, Bruce. I know for a fact that Tony doesn’t blame you.”

“I’m sure he’d have rather caught Super Soldier from you or Steve.”

“Sure, but still not your fault,” Bucky insisted.

“I’m betting Tony is actually having fun with it,” Steve added helpfully.

He wasn’t wrong, either. The strange spell they’d been exposed to (thanks to Deadpool, no less) had decided to temporarily transfer Hulking privileges to Tony Stark, leaving Bruce on what amounted to a vacation from his other self.

“Hey, could be worse. At least Barton isn’t shooting lightning bolts out of his ass,” Tony had pointed out with a smile.

“Day’s not over yet,” Clint had countered.

That had been about five minutes before Tony’s first Hulk out. Well, second technically. He’d transformed for a moment when the spell first hit, but then he’d been right back to his adorable self.

Bucky had walked into the tail end of the conversation, the top half of his uniform draped over his shoulder. It’d been a hot day and there was no way he was staying in the black leather any longer than he had to. Tony had been laughing, joking around with the group, and Bucky had smiled at him, and…

It’d all gone down hill from there.

Thankfully, Tony had been able to retain some control, but he’d still taken off running for the Hulk Room, and wound up isolating himself until it wore off an hour on two later.

“I feel bad for Bruce,” Tony had said once he could form coherent sentences again. “He’s going to have to go back to all of this. I’d invite him to a Science Party, but I gotta imagine he’d rather be out enjoying getting pissed without side effects.”

And for an hour or so, it’d seemed like everything would be more or less normal. Bucky had relaxed, no longer on high alert, had made himself a bit more comfortable. He’d been hungry though, so after stretching like a cat, Bucky had hopped to his feet, pulled his hair out of its ponytail, and asked Tony if he wanted anything.

To his surprise, Hulk had made an appearance, and Tony had used whatever control he had left to get himself away from the workshop and all of its expensive contents.

Again and again, the last two days had been the same thing. Everything seemed fine and dandy, until suddenly it wasn’t. And no matter what Tony said, Bucky was pretty sure he knew the reason why.

“He’s mad at me,” Bucky sighed, kicking at the floor. “Just don’t know why, and he ain’t exactly in a position to have a conversation about it.”

Bruce and Steve exchanged glances behind Bucky’s back before looking at him.

“What do you mean?” Steve asked eventually.

“I’m not stupid. It’s pretty obvious. Every time Tony Hulks out, it’s when I’m around.”

“I’ve been there, too,” Steve said, hooking an arm around Bucky’s shoulders. “Doesn’t mean it’s _my_ fault.”

“Not every single time you haven’t.” Bucky wished it was otherwise, but he knew better. “I just wish I knew what I’d done to make him so mad.”

Bruce cleared his throat. “Uh, I don’t… I mean, I’m pretty sure Tony isn’t mad at you.”

“He really hasn’t mentioned anything,” Steve added. “You’ve been getting along, haven’t you?”

“Thought so,” Bucky answered.

“You’ve been hanging out a lot.”

“I know, that’s what has me so confused.”

Because Steve was right, they had been spending a lot of time together. So much so that the last few days it had been even more apparent to Bucky how much he’d grown to enjoy Tony’s company. He missed hanging out in the workshop, or bitching together over coffees. And, yes, maybe he missed Tony’s big, brown eyes, and his stupidly attractive smile, and the laugh. Yeah, he definitely missed the laugh, because Tony always threw his head back and touched Bucky’s knee when he laughed.

Just like that, something occurred to him. “Oh no.”

“What?” Steve asked, not bothering to hide his concern.

Bucky hung his head. “Nothing. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Wait, Bucky, what? What’s going on?”

He beat a hasty retreat, ignoring Steve calling after him, because he was almost positive he knew what had happened. Somehow, Tony must have figured out that Bucky was harboring one hell of a crush on him. While he’d guessed it was a long shot his feelings might be welcomed, he’d never thought that even the idea of it would be enough to upset Tony to such an extent.

Feeling more than a little dejected, Bucky trudged back to his room, wondering how he’d ever been stupid enough to hope.

+

"Bucky thinks you’re Hulking out because of him.”

“Hi, Bruce, nice to see you.”

“Tony, seriously.”

Tony exhaled loudly, head lolling back on his shoulders. “Well, _technically_ …”

Bruce burst out laughing. “Don’t even…”

“Bruce, darling, no way am I having that conversation with him while all this is going on.”

Tony ducked as Bruce whipped an empty coffee cup at his head. “Chicken. You’re really going to let him walk around thinking that he’s done something bad enough that just being around him makes you so angry you lose control?”

Well, Bruce had him there, no two ways about it. “Damn. He really thinks that?”

“What else is he supposed to think?”

Another good point. “I have to talk to him, don’t I?”

“Yes, Tony.”

“Damn.”

Bruce snorted. “We already covered that part.”

Tony groaned, and scrubbed a hand over his face. When he’d first “caught” the Hulk, he assumed it’d work the same way it did for Bruce. Then Bucky fucking sex on a stick Barnes had to show up wearing his tight leather pants, and a tank top and as soon as the blood began rushing south—as it tended to do when he was around Bucky—he’d felt the transformation taking over.

Hoping it was a fluke, he’d managed to spend some alone time with Bucky, until he’d stretched like the world’s sexiest little assassin-kitten, shirt riding up as his back arched, and he made a contented little mewling noise. Then he’d stood up all dramatically, pulling his hair loose and flashing his bedroom eyes while asking Tony if he _wanted any_.

Well, yeah, actually, he wanted plenty! Bucky had been talking about dinner, but Tony’s mind had gone straight for the gutter. Moments later, it was Hulk time.

“Anger is a lot easier to explain than turning into the Hulk every time I get a boner,” Tony grumbled.

“Honestly, I can’t argue with you there,” Bruce agreed, patting Tony on the back. “Good luck.”

“Wait, you’re not coming with me?”

Bruce just laughed. “No way, no how.”

+

“Excuse the interruption, but I have been asked to remind you that your are late for your appointment in the Hulk Room.”

Bucky glared at the ceiling. He knew JARVIS was only following orders, but it was still annoying. Avoiding someone when they were friends with an AI that could see your every move was awkward, and more than a little futile.

“Bucky, just go talk to him.”

“He’s already in the room,” Bucky pointed out. “That means I’m right, and Tony knows being around me is triggering.”

“I’ll carry you there if I have to.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Which was the wrong response. At least Tony seemed to get a good laugh out of Steve all but dragging a grumpy former assassin into the room.

“Figure this out,” Steve instructed in his Captain America voice, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Yes, sir!” Tony answered cheerily.

He looked exhausted, which made sense. He’d been Hulking out so much that his body must have been feeling the toll. Bucky wanted to give him a shoulder rub, and carry him to bed.

Instead, he hopped to his feet, folded his arms across his chest, and took a deep breath. Only, Tony started talking before he had the chance to say anything.

“Okay, so, obviously we both know you’re the reason I’ve been spending so much time all big, green, and ugly.”

“You could never be ugly,” Bucky protested. “You’re just different.”

Tony’s eyes widened a little, and Bucky winced. He hadn’t meant to say it, really, and was waiting for Tony’s anger over Bucky’s attraction to make an appearance.

“That’s sweet,” Tony said. “But, um… Wait, okay, really?”

Bucky squared his shoulders. “You don’t have to bother letting me down easy,” he said instead of answering Tony’s question. “Let’s just get to it. I… I won’t apologize for the way I am, but I _am_ sorry if…”

“Whoa, hold on, stop right there!” Tony waved his hands and took a couple steps forward, brows creased but no sign of green in his eyes. “You haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I wanted to talk to you, see, because my Hulk doesn’t…”

“Of course I’ve done something wrong! Being around me pisses you off, and if you’d just let me finish maybe we could try to salvage…”

“…work like Bruce’s, and seriously, Bucky, would you let me explain? Because you’ve got this all backwards and…”

“…our friendship, because it’s important to me. You’re important to me! This sucks, I miss spending time with you. It’s not like I’m going to just rip my clothes off and jump you, you know? Liking guys doesn’t make me a deviant or…”

“Fuck me, you cannot say things like that around me right now, Buck, that’s what I’m trying to… to… Damn, no, too late!”

Bucky’s mouth snapped shut as Tony dropped to his knees, breathing accelerating as he struggled with the approaching transformation.

“Clint in a canary yellow thong at the beach with Deadpool in a sundress eating burritos. Liverwurst. Justin Hammer. Crossword puzzles. Anti-vaccination, science hating trolls.”

“What the hell?”

Tony’s breathing was slowing down, and some of the strain seemed to be easing out of his muscles.

“Okay. This is… Tenuous at best. Do me a favor and stay there, and keep quiet long enough for me to finish? _Please_ , Bucky.”

Obviously, there was something else going on here. Bucky took a deep breath, nodded, realized Tony was still looking at the floor, and said, “okay.”

“Good. Wow. I have so much more sympathy for Bruce. This really takes it out of you.”

Bucky fought his urge to comfort Tony, staying put as he’d been instructed.

“What I was trying to say was that my Hulking out around you uh, it doesn’t have anything to do with anger.”

“But…”

Tony turned his head in order to glare, so Bucky raised his hands in surrender, and mimed zipping his mouth shut. Tony grinned at this before looking away again.

“It’s physical attraction.”

Bucky wasn’t sure he was allowed to speak, so he puzzled through this in confused silence.

“I haven’t been angry with you, Bucky,” Tony insisted, “I’ve been… Been… Sorry, this is, I’m having a hard time not thinking of you naked while explaining that each Hulking episode was triggered by you being all sexy and amazing and making me think of you naked. Damn, I should have taken anti-boner pills. JARVIS, do they even make anti-boner pills?”

“Wait, you turn into the Hulk when you get a hardon?”

Tony rested his forehead against the floor and groaned. “Unsexy thoughts, unsexy thoughts,” he chanted.

Bucky was grinning like a maniac. “Tony, are you seriously saying that… that you’re attracted to me?”

“That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to explain but you’ve been saying shit about ripping your clothes off and, nope, bye bye.”

“Sir asked me to have you leave the room when this transpired,” JARVIS instructed calmly. “The effects should wear off shortly, and…”

“Tony, once you’re back to normal can we talk about getting naked together?”

There followed what sounded like a commingled cry of ecstasy and pain, and a very enthusiastic, “fuck,  _yes_!”

Bucky ran from the room just before the roaring started, grinning so hard that his face hurt.

“JARVIS, let him know I’m going to steer clear for a bit, but please, please make it known that I’m crazy about him. Have been for awhile. And I’d be just as big and green around him if our roles were reversed.”

“Excellent,” JARVIS answered dryly. “Shall I reserve time in sir’s calendar for you to have dinner whilst discussing your mutual erections?”

“Thanks, J, good idea. Tell him I’m looking forward to it.”

“Of course.”

That taken care of, Bucky whistled on his way back to his room to indulge in a little Tony-prompted Hulking out of his own.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't resist JARVIS's parting quip. XD

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] That's Not Anger](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9239084) by [RsCreighton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RsCreighton/pseuds/RsCreighton)




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